This weekend I have received a new mobile phone, and the switch over has been a little problematic, so for the next few days, I may not be immediately contactable.

If you cannot get hold of me on my mobile number, rather than leave a voicemail message, it might be better to send me an… Continue reading →

In 2014, the World Health Organisation stated that “without urgent, coordinated action… the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill.” What this means is that minor surgical procedures and small grazes could prove deadly.

Dame Sally Davies, the… Continue reading →

A Japanese study suggests that acupuncture changes the balance of activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain toward left-dominant activity, resulting in anxiolytic relaxation effects.

Ten patients with diagnosed anxiety disorders were involved in the study.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) researchers measured oxy-haemoglobin concentrations, which reflect changes in blood flow, and therefore brain activity, in… Continue reading →

In a randomised trial carried out in Spain, sixty-eight subjects received acupuncture or sham acupuncture (which involved needling at non-acupuncture point locations) for the treatment of shoulder impingement. The participants received four weekly sessions.

The results showed significant differences between the two groups and indicate significant clinical benefits.

At cessation of treatment, among the acupuncture… Continue reading →

A Spanish study has found acupuncture to be effective for pain relief and improving quality of life in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Researchers randomly assigned 164 fibromyalgia patients a course of either individualised acupuncture treatments or else sham acupuncture. The patients received one session per week for ten weeks in addition to any continuing pharmacological… Continue reading →

A Cochrane database review of evidence suggests that a course of acupuncture consisting of at least six treatments can be a valuable treatment option for people with frequent tension-type headache.

The international author team included 12 trials with 2349 adults in an updated review. They highlighted two large trials which observed that acupuncture, when added… Continue reading →

As well as tongue and pulse diagnosis (and of course analysis of patient’s presenting signs and symptoms), traditional Chinese medicine

practitioners can use facial features to help diagnose people’s problems. This is a fascinating and often illuminating technique.

Here’s a few introductory things to look for:

• The bridge of the nose is seen as reflecting… Continue reading →

Going back to classical times in China, practitioners of medicine were paid by results. A physician would be retained by a family and would be paid regularly while all the members of the family remained well and in good health. If one of them fell ill, however, payment would be stopped until the illness was… Continue reading →

Turmeric is becoming increasingly recognised as a health-giving spice. The active ingredient curcumin is seen as the key component. It has well-documented anti-inflammatory properties. Given that much current research on alzheimer’s disease is focused upon the inflammatory process as a means to explain the accumulation of myeloid plaques in the brain, and given the massive… Continue reading →

I recently came across an interesting piece of research from the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, which seems to indicate the health benefits of sunbathing.

Despite the indisputable increased risk of skin cancer, sunbathers are less likely to die from heart disease and more likely to live longer. The researchers even went so far as… Continue reading →